Perhaps the post-resurrection life is inhibited or made into something banal, forgettable, when the resurrection is thought of as being one singular historical moment. Or maybe it happens when our main conception of resurrection has to do with the physical raising up of dead bodies. But neither of these things encompasses the essence of resurrection, and in fact, we are better off changing our mindsets and vocabulary to remove the post from post-resurrection; for there is only the first resurrection, the prototypical resurrection, and not the one and only resurrection. Resurrection is in fact happening, has been happening, and will be happening all around us until time itself ceases to be a category of our cognition.

On Sunday, I witnessed an arrest. I had just returned to Chicago from a trip to St. Louis and the heat in the city was blistering. My apartment does not have air conditioning, and, with a heat index in the triple digits, I decided to take my dog down for a walk on the shore so that we could both find some relief in the coolness of the lake breeze. As I rounded the corner of my building, I saw blue lights in the alley--lots of blue lights.

About 70 people gathering in the rain and wind on May 26, 2011 at the State of IL Building (Thompson Center) in Chicago's Loop to dramatize the plight of the "walking wounded," those who have no health insurance and who are often turned away by the numerous non-profit hospitals which do not provide an adequate level of charity care despite their tax exemptions. As the campaign for charity care continues, Rev. Al Sharp offered the invocation at this public witness organized by the Fair Care Coalition.

Chris Gamwell was present at the creation of Protestants for the Common Good fifteen years ago. He has been and continues to be a central load-bearing pillar of the organization – as someone who thinks deeply, writes and speaks eloquently, and guides us with penetrating faith and reason.

As the Church moves from a season of centering into one of rejoicing, we, the body of Christ, remember and participate in the resurrection. Congregations around the world gathered, hearing the many meanings of the empty tomb. And then, they must decide what to do next.

Our faith reflection for this issue is drawn from a speech made by the Rev. C.J. Hawking, Executive Director of Arise Chicago at a press conference at the IL State Capitol on February 10, 2011 in support of raising the minimum wage.

In an age marked by increasingly dire signs that the earth itself is suffering from multiple afflictions, even unto death, we are challenged this Lent to consider the meaning of Jesus’ passion and resurrection for a stricken planet.

By now, everyone reading this probably knows of the financial crunch the state of Illinois is in. The consensus is that the state's debt sits at around $13 billion dollars. That is half of Illinois's 26 billion dollar general revenue fund, of which 9 out of every 10 dollars are spent on education, healthcare, human services, and public safety. Our problem is not, as many would be surprised to learn, profligate spending, but a flawed tax system. So...